Apparatus for utilizing steam.



PATENT-ED SEPT. 29, 1903.

L. P. BIJRROWS. APPARATUS FORUTILIZING STEAM.-

APPLICATION FILED HOV. 23. T901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL IKE/6,7110? IPATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

L. P. BURROWS. APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING STEAM.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 23. 1901.

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N0 MODEL.

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UN'ITEDM STATES- Fatented September 29,

PATENT OFFICE.

LINUS PORTER BURROWS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO 'BU RROWS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 740,085, dated September 29, 1903. Application filed November 23, 1901. $erial No. 8 3,395. (No model.)

To all? whom itmay concern:

. Be it known that I, LINUS PORTER BUR' ROWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the'District of Columbia,

My apparatus is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is-a vertical longitudinal section online II II of I Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line III III of- Fig. 1.

is a detail'pe rspect'iveview of the air-diffusing device and ash-receiver removed fromthe fire-box. j

High-pressure steam taken from the dome of a steam-boiler or other convenient source is brought througha considerable length of pipe 1, having a control-valve 2, and by means of a pressure reducing and regulating valve 3 of any suitable .construction is lowered inpressure to, say, from four to six pounds per square inch. It then enters the top of a vertical expansion and radiation cylinder 4, preferably of sheet metal. This cylinder has in its botton a valved outlet 5 for withdrawing the water of condensation. From the side of this chambera pipe 6, containing a valve 7, leads through the front wall of the fire-box just above the grate-bars and near the lefthand wall of the fire-chamber. of the fire-chamber is located a vertical series of pipe-sections 8 9, alternately connected at opposite ends to provide a zigzag passage. I have shown five superposed sections; but this number may be increased or diminished, according to circumstances. The lowermost section of pipe at the left hand of the fire-' chamber is connected to inlet-pipe 6, and the steam passing-up through the separate see- Fig. 4 is a vertical-transverse sectionon line IV IV'of- Fig. 3. Fig. 5'

On each sidetions 8 is carried from the farther-end of the top section transversely across the rear end of the fire-chamber to the corresponding top section of the right-hand series of pipe-sections 9. The resulting gas then passes from .the lowermost section through the front wall of the fire-box to a coupling 10, having two outlets. From one of these outlets leads a valved pipe 11 to carry the gas to any desired point of use. From the second outlet a pipe 12, containing a drip-cock 13, leads to a'pressure-relief valve 14. From the pipe 12 ex- ;tends a valved pipe 15, which is'bentand passes through the front wall of the fire-box at a point midway of and at the upper surface of the grate-bars. A T-ooupling thence leads the gas to pipe 17 and burner 18 near the right hand of the fire-chamber and just above the grate-bars and through-a similar pipe 19 to a similar burner 20 at the left-hand side of the fire-chamber. The burners 18 20 each consist of a length of pipe closed at the farther end andhaving a longitudinal series of gas-passages in the upper and inner wall in such position that the jets of flame issuing from them converge and meet at the upper middle portion of the fire-chamber.

Below the fire grate is rem'ovably hung my improved air-diffusing and ash-receiving pan. This pan consists of a rectangular cast-iron frame 21, corresponding in general outline to' the-grate-bar frame, and 'ver'ticaljsides 23 of finely-perforated sheet metal riveted at their lower edges to the outer side of the-frame.

Thepan is hung below the grate-bars by any suitable means, such as hooks 24:, having upper bent ends carried by the grate-bars and lower bent ends entering openings near the four corners of the upper edge of the pan. The pan can be entirely removed by disengaging the lower ends of the hooks from the openings in the pan, and the hooks can be detached from the grate-bars by turning them until the upper bent ends are parallel to the slots through the grate-bars. The pan'frame 21 has a central longitudinal bar 22, provided with longitudinal rabbets 25. The two paral- 1el-rectangular openings thus provided each contain an ash receiving and dumping plate These plates are supported at the front and rear ends by trunnions 27 28, secured to the ends midway of the width of the plates and resting in recesses in the pan-frame. The trunnions at the front extend through the furnace-wall and are provided with handles, by which the plates 26 can be rotated to a vertical position to discharge ashes into the ash-pit below. The adjacent edges of these plates normally lie in the rabbets 25 of the center bar 22. These adjacent portions of plates 26 rotate upward and outward toward the sides of the pan in dumping and are returned to their normal position by any suitable counterweights, those shown being iron rods secured to the lower edge of each plate by staples riveted through the plate. The finely-perforated sides of the pan cause the entering air to be uniformly distributed beneath the grate-bars, the amount of air supplied being regulated as desired not only by the ash-pit door 29, but by closing a suitable number of the perforations in the pan sides with clay.

The operation of the gas'producing apparatus is as follows: Water converted into high-pressure steam and brought to the furnace by pipe 1 is reduced in pressure by valve 3, from which it enters chamber 4, having pressure-gage 44. The rapid expansion of steam in this chamber causes its temperature tofall until a portion is condensed into water, which is drawn off at the bottom by cock 5. The expanded and dried steam then passes to the gas-generator proper, consisting of the described convolutions of pipe 8 9, so arranged within the fire-box as to be subjected not only to the direct heat of any fuel in combustion on the grate, but also to the heat radiated by the adjacent brick side walls of the fire-chamber. The steam is thus con verted into a gas of high calorific and illuminating power, which may be carried off through pipe 11 and used for digesting solid substances and various other purposes. That portion of the gas carried by pipe 15 to the burners within the fire-box raises the temperature therein to a very high degree, thereby intensifying the heat applied to the sections of the gas-generator and increasing their elficiency. The relief-valve 14 averts danger from any abnormal pressure occurring in the gas-generator, and the petcock 13 serves to draw off such water as may be condensed from any residual unconverted steam. 4

While I have shown but one cylinder 4, I may in some cases employ two or more, the steam from both either entering the gas-generator through pipe 6 or the second being connected to gas-generator section 9 only, in which case the connection between generator-sections 8 9 may be omitted and the gas taken directly from the top pipe of each.

In some cases I may omit pressure-reducing valve 3, depending merely on control-valve 2 and the expansionin condenser 4 to reduce the pressure of the steam to any desired extent.

The air-diffusing pan is an important adj unct of the gas-generator, it being important that the temperature in the fire-chamber be kept uniformly high to secure satisfactory conversion of the steam into gas. The perforated plates 23 prevent any sudden inrush of cold air, which would otherwise lower the temperature, when the ash-pit door is opened.

What I claim is- 1. An apparatus for utilizing steam, comprising means for suddenly expanding the steam to a larger volume and separating it, without material condensation, from any water held in suspension, means for heating the steam to a high temperature, and means for burning the gaseous products thereof in conjunction with other fuel, as set forth.

2. An apparatus for utilizing steam, comprising means for suddenly expanding the steam and thereby reducing its pressure before it has had an opportunity to absorb water of condensation, and for separating from the steam the watery vapor therein without material condensation of the steam, means for immediately superheating the steam to a high temperature, and means for introducing the resultant gaseous products thereof into a zone of combustion, as set forth.

3. An apparatus for utilizing steam, comprising a steam expansion and radiation chamber, means for drawing off the precipitated water from this chamber, a conduit connected to receive the dry lower pressure steam from said chamber, means for heating said conduit, and means for burning the gaseous products delivered from said conduit in conjunction with other fuel, as set forth.

4. An apparatus for utilizing steam, comprising a steam expansion and radiation chamber, means for drawing off the precipitated water from this chamber, a eonduitconnected to receive the dry lower-pressure steam from said chamber, means for heating said conduit, means for burning a portion of the resulting gaseous products in conjunction with other fuel, and means for using the remaining portion to digest solid substances, as set forth.

5. An apparatus for utilizing steam, comprising means for suddenly expanding the steam to a larger volume and separating it, without material condensation, from any water held in suspension, means for heating the steam to a high temperature, a fire-box having a grate and means for passing a diffused current of air through the grate, and means for injecting the gaseous products of the steam into said fire-box and there burning them in conjunction with other fuel, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LIN US PORTER BURROWS.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH W. BUELL, EUGENE A. BYRNES. 

